MP pays tribute to Tony Blair


10 May 2007

Don Valley MP Caroline Flint described Tony Blair as "a unique leader in the history of the Labour Party and one of Britain's great Prime Ministers."

Ms Flint said: "Tony Blair is the only Labour leader ever to win three successive election victories and then step down at a time of his own choosing, leaving a stronger country than he inherited."

Ms Flint said that during his decade in power, Tony Blair had won all the big arguments over the Conservatives: "He proved Labour could run an efficient economy, he showed that we could have economic prosperity and social justice at the same time, not just one or the other, and he showed that you could have a minimum wage and trade union rights without costing jobs.

"He leaves an extraordinary legacy: 2.5 million more jobs; the best education and health results ever; and he is the only Prime Minister to leave office with crime lower than when he came to power. He also departs with fewer children and pensioners in poverty.

"Tony Blair has been a world leader of stature, leading the G8 nations on debt relief; leading the first country to achieve their Kyoto climate change targets; and the only British Prime Minister to secure a lasting peace in Northern Ireland. His legacy for our nation is immense."

Regarding the future leadership, Ms Flint said: "Gordon Brown has been an immense figure during Labour's period of office. He is the right person to take the Labour Party and the country forward and to secure a fourth Labour term in government."